


Where We've Been

by SpektraParis17



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/M, part2 of 'To the Unknown'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:20:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24542980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpektraParis17/pseuds/SpektraParis17
Summary: Uma squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears.  They betrayed her and escaped anyway.
Relationships: Gil & Uma (Disney: Descendants), Gil/Harry Hook, Gil/Harry Hook/Uma, Harry Hook/Uma
Comments: 18
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here is chapter 1 of the sequel/ part 2 of 'To the Unknown'. I REALLY hope you guys like this. I poured my soul into writing it and I hope that it's apparent.

With that being said, Uma turned and walked out of the captain’s quarters. Only Harry followed her out of the room.

“Whoa, whoa. Uma, wait up.” Uma turned around to face him.

“So, not only do ye want to go back to the Isle but ye wanna fight Ursula as well?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He could only assume Uma didn’t understand what she was saying. She gave him a flat expression. Nonchalance was written all over her face. 

“People don’t just fight Ursula. They usually don’t live to tell the tale.”

“Well, I’m not just any person.” Uma sighed. “We saw that yesterday.”

An image flashed back to her mind of her towering over the _Kraken’s Crest_. Uma blinked and looked up at him. He reached for her hand and spoke softly.

“Are ye prepared to kill yer own mother?” 

Sometimes she hated it when he did this. He already knew the answer to the question. He knew she would be too stubborn to admit the truth. So, he used his eyes as a means of boring into her soul. To reach the part of her that would allow her to be honest with him, with herself. 

She looked away from him and began to draw her hand back. He took the cue and let go of her hand only to grab her face with both hands. She had no choice but to look at him.

“I _won’t_ lose ye. If ye want to fight Ursula, then, of course, I’m coming along. But only do this if yer sure ye won’t hesitate.”

Uma began to pull away again; she wasn’t ready to hear this truth.

Harry’s voice became lower as he continued, “if she senses any hesitation, she will kill ye.”

He finally let go of her. He expected her to storm away from him, literally. 

She just stood there as if his words had frozen her in place. Finally, she spoke. 

“I don’t have a choice. I have to do this.” She met his eyes. 

“Ye don’t have to. We’ll defeat anyone else that tries to come after ye.” Harry's eyes were pleading with her again. 

_He really doesn’t want me to do this. Does he think that I’ll lose, and mom will kill me?_

Uma almost felt betrayed. After what Uma had done yesterday, she would think that his faith in her would be stronger than ever. Then it donned on her. Creating storms, growing to enormous sizes, and murder. Sure, this was all new to Uma, but her mother had been doing this for decades. Uma never cowered from a fight, but murder? Of course, Uma did mean it when she said she would kill Blue. Even with his peace offering, the thought still hadn’t completely left her mind. But she wasn’t sure how she would feel after ending someone’s life. How it would change her. What amount of humanity she would have left. She wondered if these thoughts had ever entered Ursula’s mind.

_Maybe he’s right. Maybe I should hold off on deciding until I can come to terms with my feelings on this._

Uma was getting frustrated. The pressure was getting to be too much. She threw her hands up. 

“I’ll sleep on it, okay?”

Harry knew not to press her any further. He managed to keep his voice leveled, “okay.”

“I’m going for a swim,” Uma said as she stalked off. At that, Harry raised an eyebrow at her. 

“I’ll come _back_.” She countered. He rose his eyebrows and nodded once. He turned to walk away and then turned back around quickly. 

“And Blue?” he asked. 

“Tell him to get the hell off the ship but if he stays on the island for a bit, I won’t fight him…today,” Uma smirked. She wouldn’t fight but that didn’t mean Desi, Jonas, Bonny, and Gonzo wouldn’t. 

“Aye,” Harry smirked and headed towards the captain’s quarters. 

He walked back into the room. Everyone turned to see who had entered. They sat just as they were before Uma had left the room. Harry would bet that they hadn’t even uttered a word since then. 

“Well?” Jonas asked. 

Harry clasped his hands together, “she said she’ll sleep on it. She’s had a trying morning.”

Gil nodded his head in agreement while Jonas seemed indifferent. 

“Ah, and one more thing,” Harry pointed his hook in Blue’s direction. 

“Get out,” Gil pulled Blue to his feet and escorted him off the ship. Harry purposely failed to mention the part about Uma not fighting Blue today. Hook or no hook he couldn’t care less if the dude got the crap kicked out of him. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uma stared out at the waves until her eyes glazed over. She found a large boulder that edged the line of the shore. It was close enough for her to make haste towards the ship if she needed to but far enough from everyone’s line of sight. It reminded her of her special place where she used to visit. Before all of this happened. Before she met Harry and Gil. When she could only depend on herself. Uma had been sitting long enough for her body to dry off causing her legs to reappear. 

The sun was beginning to set. She had been gone for hours. She wondered if she was being selfish. The sea three had just gone through a traumatic experience and right now she was more concerned about ‘me-time’. She just needed time to think. _What am I going to do?_

Uma heard something over her shoulder. Instinct took over. She put her hand inside her boot that sat next to her and pulled out a small dagger. A large turquoise stone adorned the handle. Harry had fashioned it himself and gifted it to her weeks ago. It was one of the last things he had managed to grab before _the Revenge_ had turned into an inferno. 

She turned with her dagger raised. Gil put his hands up. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you.” He said quickly. Uma sighed and dropped the dagger back inside her boot. 

“Did Harry send you to look for me?” Uma asked, ignoring his apology.

“He didn’t have to,” Gil responded. 

Uma drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Gil just looked at her for a while before placing a hand on her shoulder. She slowly turned her head towards him. 

“I don’t know what to do. If I fight my mom then one of us will die. And no, I’m not ready to kill my own mom but I’m not ready to leave the two of you either. If I don’t fight her, then what if someone else in the crew gets hurt? I know she’d hurt the two of you just to get to me.” Uma shook her head before she continued.

“And it’s not fair to put Jonas, Desiree, Gonzo, and Bonny in the middle of this.”

Uma slowly rocked back and forth. She covered her face with her hands as her whole body started to shake. 

Gil looked like his heart was going to break. He pulled Uma into an embrace while she rested her head on his chest. 

Boy was her emotions off. One moment she was ready to stab someone and the next she was sobbing. 

“He almost killed him, Gil,” Uma’s voice was hoarse. 

“I’ve never been so scared in my life.” She wiped her nose. 

“I was scared too,” Gil said. Uma pulled back to look at him. His eyes were glossy. 

“He’s my best friend. And even though I saw you heal him I still woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to make sure he was okay.” Uma put a hand on his arm. 

“But you being afraid for us is not a good reason to go and fight Ursula.” Uma blinked up at him and frowned. 

“No, wait, just listen,” Gil said taking her hands.

“You’re right. Fighting Ursula would mean fighting to the death. Even though you won’t be doing it alone she--.” 

“She despises disloyalty (unless it's coming from her) and will try her damnedest to kill me or one of you. I know, she raised me remember?”

“We don’t want to lose you. If we just lay low for a bit and – “

Uma cut him off again, “that’s the thing, we were already laying low and they still found us. You all will be put in harm’s way no matter what.”

Gil pursed his lips. He was not sure how to respond. 

“If I just leave then everyone will be fine,” Uma said. This got Gil’s attention.

“But you won’t,” he said. 

Uma turned away from him and began watching the waves again. 

“You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you?” Gil was afraid to hear her answer. 

She glanced at him guiltily and then watched the sun disappear behind the tide.

“Please don’t do this,” Gil begged. 

“It’s the only way I can make sure you guys are safe.” Uma wiped her eyes again and slipped her dagger into her pocket. She began to put on her boots. 

“Did you stop to think about what we want?” Gil reached towards Uma’s necklace and held up Harry’s ring.

Uma looked up at him in alarm.

“Yeah I noticed he wasn’t wearing it today,” Gil said. 

“Well, one day you guys’ll understand.” Uma rose to her feet and began to make her way through the rocky coast and back to the ship. 

“Don’t you see!” 

Uma started at Gil’s words; they seemed to echo and reverberate off her back. His tone was hard yet pleading. She stopped walking. 

“When we’re apart, that’s when terrible things happen. Our last night on the _Lost Revenge_...” Gil’s voice cracked. Uma squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears. They betrayed her and escaped anyway. Uma turned to face him. 

Now she was beginning to understand. Her shell had glowed that night while she was on the ship. It glowed so she could return to the ocean. It glowed so she could save Harry. It glowed when Harry was near. It was drawn to the ocean and to him. Whenever she was with either of them, she was home. What was she thinking? She couldn’t leave him or Gil. 

He composed himself before speaking again. 

“Look, maybe I was wrong to try to tell you what to do. Whatever you decide, I’m with you. Just _don’t_ leave.”

Uma walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. They cried together silently.

Harry walked up and saw two silhouettes embracing against a cornflower colored sky. 

“’s this a bad time?” He asked the two of them. Gil and Uma pulled apart and smiled at him. Uma chuckled while Gil wiped his cheek. 

“Nah, it’s perfect timing,” Uma said. Harry was unsure if he should be concerned or not. 

“So?” He asked. Gil looked at Uma and she nodded at him before he spoke.

“We’re going to fight Ursula,” Gil stated.

Harry looked from Gil to Uma. 

“No hesitations,” Uma said to him. 

“Well then you’ll need yer first mate,” Harry said as he walked towards her and draped an arm around her shoulders. 

“Huh?” Uma said. 

Harry and Gil smirked sheepishly. 

“It might have been part of why I was coming to find you,” Gil twiddled his fingers. Uma’s mouth hung open and she began to stammer. 

“What? Wh-when did this happen?” 

“We all voted earlier today. Jonas is fine with it by the way, although he might wanna spar you for it later.” Gil said. 

“Heh, like he’d win” Harry scoffed.

“Y’all voted on this even though I wasn’t there? How is that fair?” 

“I looked for ye everywhere and ye hadn’t returned. We couldn’t wait forever. In other words, captain, ye snooze ye lose or win in this case.” Uma poked Harry in his stomach and he made a low ‘oof’ sound. 

Here her soon to be husband was, poking fun of her. She’d have the last laugh though. He recovered quickly.

“Of course, that made me the first mate, since I’m the closest to ye.” 

Uma chuckled. 

“Gil’s the muscle,” Harry added. Uma took an arm and draped it around Gil’s waist. 

“Just call us the sea three,” Gil said. 

They kept their arms linked as they made their way towards the ship. As they walked, they rediscovered one of their favorite past times: roasting each other. They doubled over as they burst into fits of laughter until they were in tears and their stomachs ached.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Uma began most mornings with a swim. She woke up at dawn and jumped from below the ship into the ocean. Harry didn’t like waking up to an empty bed, but he tried to be understanding. Uma needed this time alone with her thoughts. It also helped her unwind. 

The crew decided they’d stay on the island until they finished training for their battle with Ursula and her minions. Blue had disappeared after their conversation. None of the crew members admitted to finishing off what Uma and Harry had started. It didn’t make sense for him to leave without another word. Grayson and Gatlin were also gone. He and his crew left a barrel of food in their place. Not the best supply but fit for pirates. Uma only hoped they were alive for Gil’s sake. His brothers had terrorized him for most of his life, yet he still had a soft spot for them. 

Uma was at her new favorite hangout on the shoreline. She would’ve called it her hiding spot until Gil and Harry found it. She hummed as she rubbed the dorsal fin of a hammerhead shark. It edged closer to her for more comfort before suddenly jolting, making a large splash. Uma backed away from the water and frowned. She watched her friend swim away as if in a rush. _Weird._

Uma stood up and began to walk towards the ship.

She heard a soft and airy, feminine voice coming from the beach.

It sang an old sea shanty that Uma had not heard in years _._ Not since living near the port with her mother _._ There was something very siren-like about this voice. It was almost too beautiful to be human. 

_My heart is pierced by Cupid_

_I disdain all glittering gold_

_There’s nothing can console me_

_But my jolly sailor bold_

Uma clutched her dagger and followed it towards the beach. 

The young woman that stood before her had long dark hair and olive skin. Her deep blue eyes were complimented by her auspicious nose and bloodred lips.

Uma’s stomach churned. She never thought she’d come face to face with the woman that almost stole Prince Eric away from Princess Ariel. 

“Hiding something, mom?”

The woman smiled back mischievously.

“Or should I call you Vanessa?” Uma used the annoyance in her voice to mask her growing fear. 

Only her mother could make her feel powerless with a dagger in hand. 

_What is she up to?_

“I thought I’d find you here” Vanessa answered in a rosy voice. 

Uma’s curiosity got the best of her, “How did you -?”

Uma stopped short. Her mind raced. She thought the seashell necklace that she now wore was the only relic capable of making this transformation.

“I still have some tricks and potions up my sleeve. I suspected this one would work once I got close enough to you.” Vanessa smirked. 

Uma cocked her head in wonder. 

She finally understood, “the barrier…” she whispered. 

“We’re on the outer perimeter of the barrier, which apparently contains the tiniest of openings. However small, it’s large enough to let through just the right amount of magic.” Vanessa smiled down at her delicate hand. 

That’s why the shell had the ability to glow. Why she suddenly had healing powers and enhanced abilities. 

“You’ve unlocked your powers,” Vanessa confirmed. 

Uma tried her best to look unmoved. 

“Is this why you wanted me away from the sea and back on the Isle?” Vanessa feigned innocence. 

Uma pressed harder, “so I wouldn’t get my powers?” 

“I needed you at the shoppe.” Vanessa shrugged.

_That couldn’t be the only reason._

“Looks like you got plenty employees to me,” Uma talked back.

Vanessa looked like she was suddenly bored with their dialogue.

Uma continued, “you knew that if I unlocked my powers then I’d be more powerful than you.”

That seemed to hit a nerve. Uma knew it would. All Ursula had ever craved was to be the most powerful. 

Vanessa’s face contorted into a scowl. Ursula’s violet tinged tentacles burst from Vanessa’s dress. The fabric split until it showered onto the ground like confetti. 

This is who she truly was.

“Even with your new powers, you will _never_ be as powerful as me.” Ursula’s voice was husky as she gracefully stepped onto the sand and crowded Uma. It took every inch of Uma to keep from backing away. Instead, she found she could barely move. 

“Not to mention, you’re weak!” Ursula eyed Uma’s dagger. 

“Here you are with the chance to kill me, yet you stand there stiff with fear.” Ursula laughed. 

Uma willed her fingers to grip her dagger tightly. 

“So, you came here to finish me off yourself? A place where you’d be able to use magic to level the playing field. You knew there was a possibility that you’d be defeated.” Uma said. 

“At first, you were just an inconvenience, but now…” Ursula’s tentacle wrapped around Uma’s neck so quickly that she had no time to react. 

“…you’re a liability,” Ursula said through gritted teeth. Ursula used another limb to knock the dagger from Uma’s hand. Uma struggled to get out of her grasp. 

“Careful,” Ursula said lightly as she dropped Uma to her feet. Uma grabbed for her dagger as she gasped and coughed. She could feel the bruising developing along her neck. 

Ursula rose another limb. Uma raised her dagger in response. 

“Ah!” Ursula gave her a motherly warning. Uma glared but became still. 

“You keep this up and you won’t get your happily ever after with your pirate and his seed.” Ursula placed a limb on Uma’s stomach. She saw a flash of red light in the shape of an orb land on her lower belly. Uma’s eyes grew wide. She looked at Ursula like she was insane. Ursula laughed. 

“Oh, don’t fret, you’re not with child yet.” 

“What?” Uma managed out of astonishment and confusion. 

“It’s been written. This will take place soon. Shortly after your nuptials with that…Hook boy.” Ursula said with distaste. 

Uma tensed as she said Harry’s name. Ursula roared with laughter again. 

“As I said, tricks up my sleeve,” she said in a sing-song voice. 

“It would be a shame if something were to happen to the three of you…” Uma ground her teeth. 

_Why exactly haven’t I attacked her yet?_

“And here we go, what do you want?” she said out of exasperation. 

“The three of you can live together peacefully so long as you give your powers to me.”

Uma looked away for a moment. 

“Hmm, I never pegged you as the selfish type.” Ursula continued her manipulation.

“You’ve only just gotten your powers. How much can they mean to you?”

“Uma” She knew that voice too well. He was standing right behind them. 

_Finally._

“Duck.” 

Uma dropped to the sand as one of Harry’s throwing knives flew threw the air. It struck Ursula’s limb that had been lingering over Uma’s stomach. 

Ursula hissed and retreated to the ocean. She submerged completely and vanished.

Harry ran and pulled Uma up from the ground. She looked like she’d seen a ghost.

“I’m so sorry it took me so long, love” 

“I heard a voice singing in me sleep and I thought ‘twas a dream. But it all sounded too real.” Harry pulled back and looked at Uma. She wanted to speak but she couldn’t. Words were failing her.

Harry became worried. He reached out his hand to gently stroke her bruised neck. Uma jerked back. 

“C'mon, let’s get out of here.” He walked behind her as they went back to the ship. 

As they walked on board, Gil shouted happily, “good mornin’, captain!”

Harry shook his head quickly and glowered. Gil saw Uma’s blank expression.

Bonny looked at Gil and mouthed, “Is she okay?”

Gil shrugged back at her. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once they got inside their quarters, Harry wrapped his arms around Uma again. 

He pulled her deep into his chest. She replayed the interaction she’d just had with her mother in her mind. She pulled away from him and slammed her dagger into the wall next to them. She closed her eyes and sucked in a large breath of air. It came out in a sob. 

Harry pulled her close again and rubbed her back as he held her. 

“It’s okay. Let it all out.” He said softly. They stayed that way until her breathing slowed down. 

A soft knock sounded on the door. Gil. 

Harry let out a low, aggravated snarl but Uma clasped his hand.

“It’s fine. I just needed a minute.” 

Harry looked at her and bit his lip. He went to the door to let Gil inside. 

_Damn, I see my mom for five minutes and turn into a heap of nerves. What is it about her that still gets to me?_

When she looked at her mother, she saw herself. The future version of herself had she stayed on the Isle. Bitter, destructive, selfish, and manipulative. It scared her. She’d never admit this to anyone. Not even to Harry. And even though she’d witnessed them her entire life, Uma knew she’d never become immune to Ursula’s tricks. 

Her mother had abused her both physically and emotionally her whole life. Rather than face her emotions, it was easier to tuck them away and forget about them. Uma had gotten so good at not allowing herself to feel anything other than rage. Rage equaled strength. Facing her feelings meant she would have to stop denying how hurt she had been by the way her mother treated her. Learning to accept and live with this trauma would be terrifying. No wonder, she had a hard time grappling with her feelings. 

Gil came in with a cold rag for Uma’s neck. It was as close as they could get to ice on this side of the barrier. She put a hand up as she rejected it. Gil sat down wordlessly. 

“You told me not to hesitate.” Uma looked at Harry through red-rimmed eyes. 

“You were right, I’m not ready. I’m lucky she didn’t kill me.” 

“That was a cheap trick, even for her,” Harry said.

“You mean Ursula was here?!” Gil practically screamed. 

Harry flicked him on the back of the head. 

“No, I mean Vanessa _and_ Ursula were here,” Uma said. Gil’s mouth dropped open. 

“She knew that her being in that form would throw ye off.” Harry continued. 

“It’s clear she’s threatened by ye.” 

Uma sniffed. “She wants my powers.” 

Harry and Gil screwed up their faces.

“In exchange for keeping the three of us safe” 

“So, she did threaten Harry and me?” Gil asked. 

Uma huffed, “no…” 

Uma adjusted her position in her seat. “She did some potion that showed her the future. We'll be expecting shortly after Harry and I get married.” 

Harry’s and Gil’s eyes grew wide. Harry looked faint for a brief moment and nudged Gil over as he sat next to him. Uma sighed. 

“Well, what’d you say?” Gil asked. 

“She didn’t take the deal,” Harry answered for her. 

“How’d you know? I didn’t even get to answer.” Uma asked out of curiosity. 

_How long had he been standing there?_

“Ye know better than anyone that there’s always a twist and a catch with these deals.” This truth settled on the three of them. 

“I don’t understand. How did she even find us?” Gil asked.

“Blue,” was all Harry said.

“I should’ve killed him when I got the chance.”

 _“You’re weak,”_ Uma shook her head as her mother’s voice once again crowded her mind. 

“Did she say anything about my brothers? Gil asked hopefully. 

Uma regrettably shook her head and watched Gil’s face fall. She grabbed for his hand and he laced her fingers through his. 

“The point is she knows we’re here. We have to tell the crew.” Uma was really not looking forward to this conversation.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That evening the crew sat around a fire on the beach. The air around them was crisp yet chilling. The wind caused the trees to gently sway. It seemed to reflect the tone of the conversation. 

“You mean you had the chance to take her out right then and there and you didn’t do it?!” Jonas snapped. 

“I’m telling ye now, ya better watch what ye say next.” Harry’s eyes were sharp, and his mouth was spread into a thin line. 

Uma sighed, “he’s right.”

Harry and Jonas turned and blinked at her. 

“I don’t have what it takes to kill her. You guys shouldn’t have voted me captain.” Uma looked each crew member directly in the face before returning her eyes to the fire. 

Bonny spoke up. “Did she threaten you?”

Uma looked at her and nodded.

“Did she physically harm you?”

Harry pulled Uma’s braids away from her neck. She tried to shrug him away. 

“C’mon, love. Let them see” Harry spoke in a low voice so only they could hear.

Uma had visibly deflated. She swallowed her pride and lifted her chin. 

The imprint of her mother’s appendage was outlined in red and blue along her neck. 

The crew stared at her for a moment. 

“Damn…” Jonas said. 

“I’m sure she tried to cut you a deal,” Gonzo added. 

Uma didn’t confirm or deny this.

“All I wanna know is did you take it?” Gonzo asked.

“No,” Uma said. 

“Good.” He said back. 

“My point is, you have more reason than any of us to fight Ursula,” Bonny said. 

“Do y’all understand how dangerous this is?” Uma asked. 

“Fighting Blue’s crew wasn’t exactly a picnic,” Desiree said sarcastically. 

Uma smirked for the first time that day. 

“I know I’m not the most, ahem, understanding,” Jonas said.

_Who is? They are from the Isle._

“Ya think?” Harry rolled his eyes. Jonas side-eyed Harry then returned his attention back to Uma. 

“But you have what it takes to lead us all. It’s why I voted for you. That and I just didn’t want the responsibility anymore.” Jonas shrugged as he warmed his hands in front of the fire. 

Uma lifted her eyebrows and gave a half nod. 

_Thanks, I guess._

“We may just have to train harder. Get ready, sooner.” Gil suggested. 

“What if she launches a sneak attack on us?” Desiree asked. 

“I doubt she will. She won’t let on but she’s afraid” Uma said. 

“Ursula’s not afraid of anything or anyone,” Jonas said.

“She knows I have powers now. I’m a threat to her.” Uma looked thoughtful. 

“I could be wrong. But I think she wants to buy some time.” The crew quietly considered this.

“What good will we be against someone with powers?” Desiree was as blunt as ever. But she had a good point. 

“Ursula’s got henchman, goons, and minions that are mortals. We’re all targets at this point.” Gil said. 

“In the meantime, no one goes anywhere alone,” Harry spoke up. 

“If ya hear somethin’ in the night (or day), no going out and checking it out on yer own” he finished. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains some sexual content. This gives a really big hint about what else could be happening in the chapter :)

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ye don’t want the crew thinking yer above the rules, do ye captain?” Harry asked smugly. 

Uma had been on her way out of their room. The sun would not rise for an hour or two and she was ready for her date with the sea. 

She thought he had been sound asleep. 

“No, but I’ll be fine. Like I said, my mom’s not in a rush to come back here.”

Harry pulled a long breath in through his nose. He quickly exhaled through his mouth. Almost a little too quickly. 

_Here we go._

“I never liked the idea of leaving ye alone to begin with. But I’ve given yer space. Then one mornin’ yer mother comes and attacks ye. Don’t ask me to do it again.”

“Harry- “

“Don’t ask me to do it again!” Harry’s voice echoed off the walls. Uma was surprised by his outburst. 

_I bet the rest of the crew’s awake **now**. _

Uma went to sit on their makeshift bed and regarded him quietly.

“I’ve always respected your decisions,” Harry said calmly.

“I know” Uma agreed.

“But I need ye to respect this. At this present time, in light of recent events, I will not be leaving yer side.” 

They stared at each other for so long it seemed like a contest. As stubborn as she was, Uma knew that once again, he was right. She shouldn’t be going anywhere alone. And, the last thing she wanted was for him to feel like she did not respect him. 

“I respect it.” Uma said finally. 

“I mean, I don’t have to like it, but I respect it” Uma gave Harry a small smile.

Harry was still silent as he looked at her wearily. 

Uma crossed the room until she stood in front of him. She took his face in her petite hands and searched his eyes. 

“That’s all I ask,” he relaxed his stance and continued. 

“Soon ye’ll be pregnant with our child. I only want what’s best for our family.”

 _Our child_. Uma felt a tingle along her spine.

Their family would consist of more than the three of them. It would also include Gil and the rest of the crew. 

Uma kissed Harry’s lips tenderly. 

“Me too”, she said. 

“And I never thanked you yesterday”

“For what?” Harry wondered.

“For saving me” Uma smiled gratefully.

“Uma, I’ll always be here for ye” Harry kissed her forehead. 

“Ye can count on that.”

They stood quietly again but enjoyed the silence this time. 

“Now stop playing games and let’s set a wedding date.” Harry broke out into his most mesmerizing smile.

“Umm, I don’t remember us calling that an official engagement. Besides, you’re just tryin’ to get a head start on baby-making.” Uma laughed.

“Is it that obvious?” He rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger.

Uma gave him a disapproving look. He smiled and changed the subject. 

“I believe it was more like we would wed once the timing was right.” Harry paused as his demeanor shifted. His tone was as soft as cotton as he regarded her carefully.

“And according to your mum, that time is upon us.” 

Uma stared at him and became lost in thought. 

_This is all happening so fast. I’ll be going from Uma the sea witch to Uma the powerful sea witch, wife and mother. But what’s wrong with that? I do love Harry. The only way I’d consider something as sickening as marriage is if it were with him. I’d love to have his child one day. Nah, wait. What the hell am I saying? Am I even the motherly type?_

Harry interrupted her thoughts. 

“I know this is all happening fast. It even made me head spin. And don’t get me wrong I wanna marry ye and hold our child one day, but ye know what, screw what your mum said. We don’t have to rush an’ get married just ‘cause- “

“No, Harry, I want to.” 

“What?” 

“I want to. _You_ are what I want.” Uma clarified. “It just occurred to me that the concept of (good) parenting is new for both of us.” Uma had only thought of her role in all this. The truth is, they would be exploring this new realm together. 

Harry tilted his head if he were confused but had a sudden epiphany. He took her hands again. 

“Ye will be an amazing mother.” He kissed each hand gently. If hearts could melt, hers would have at that moment. 

“Now about this baby-making,” She knew it would not be that easy for him to let that subject go. They both laughed. 

“Truth is, I took it easy on ye last time.” Harry smirked.

Uma’s stomach clenched. She hoped he hadn’t noticed her gulp.

Uma was not sure how jumping her bones and manhandling her had been taking it easy. She thought about that night and felt her face growing warm. Uma was a virgin before she met Harry. She had never admitted to it, but she suspected that he already knew. She decided to take some of the pressure off herself and allow him to take the lead. He was gentle at first. Once she assured him that she was okay then he pulled out all the stops. 

She could not give him the satisfaction of her backing down.

“Oh yeah?” Uma challenged. 

“Oh yes” Harry purred. He pulled her towards him by her waist. 

Uma giggled as her arms wrapped around his neck. 

“I know one thing. Raise your voice at me like that again and I won’t take it easy on _you_.” Uma chided. 

“Yes, captain,” Harry replied immediately. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gil plopped onto the sandy beach as if it were a king-sized Auradonian bed. The sun was blazing hot and he thanked the gods for the shade the palm trees provided. 

He had just finishing leading his martial arts training for the day. The crew had been leading training sessions for over a week. Harry and Uma had each taken separate days to lead sword training. Jonas would continue where Gil left off tomorrow morning with sparring training. 

After today’s training Uma was beat. Bonny, Gonzo, and Desiree’s knife throwing, and Shuriken training was more her speed. She had been fascinated by the concealed weapons since she had read about them at Serpent Prep. She had read about the town gossip that Shan Yu had refused to depart with the throwing stars he had picked up right outside of Mount Fuji. Instead, he smuggled his beloved weapons onto the Isle during exile. How cool was that? Uma supposed they could be hidden somewhere in his Dim Sum restaurant. 

The crew had been gathered on the beach and were starting to disperse. Jonas and Desiree were making their way to the grotto. Uma made a mental note of how glad she was that they had not dropped in on her and Harry that night. Bonny and Gonzo were headed back to the ship while Harry and Uma watched Gil make sand angels.

In the distance, a glint of light shone in the water. The sunlight caught the reflection again as Uma covered her eyes, protecting them from the gleam. Harry noticed too. 

“What’s that?” He stood up curiously and began to walk over to the waves.

“Wait- “Uma said grabbing his hand. “What if it’s a trick?” 

Harry narrowed his eyes as he contemplated this. 

“I’m right behind you,” Gil volunteered to accompany him. He dusted sand from his body and gave a low groan as he stood up.

“Me too” Uma said. 

Harry placed his hand against her upper stomach to brace her. “You stay here.” 

Uma filled to the brim with reluctance. 

“Please.” He added softly.

Uma willed herself to stay rooted to that spot while she watched Harry and Gil walk to the shallow waves. They plucked something from the tide. Neither of them appeared to be threatened by the glimmering, mysterious object. But as they walked back to Uma their expressions had not softened. 

Uma stared at them questioningly. Harry held the knife that had struck Ursula almost two weeks ago. 

“Guys, get over here!” Gil yelled. Some of the crew had already wandered far enough away to be out of earshot. Gil whistled and yelled for them again. 

Harry and Uma both looked at each other and then back at the knife. There was an unspoken feeling of dread quickly followed by acceptance. 

Either Ursula or her minions had been nearby recently. They had not ventured to the area just to return Harry’s weapon. 

It was a warning. Ursula would return soon, and it would not be to talk. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry was not kidding when he said he would not leave Uma’s side. He followed her everywhere. If she needed to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, she would look behind her and find him there. It was only after she threw a complete tantrum that he stopped entering the bathroom with her. Instead he stood outside the door. If he heard even the faintest of unfamiliar sounds, he was ready to kick the door in. 

Uma actually did not mind having him in her presence at all times. He was a constant comfort she never knew she needed. But the privacy she got in the bathroom was the only time she could work on Harry’s wedding band. During their battle with Blue, Uma had learned that she could manipulate the weather. She had cautiously begun experimenting with her powers on other elements. At first, she was only able to use her fingertips to form small waves and globes of water at the beach. Harry laughed every time she tossed one at him resulting in a splashing match. Now she harnessed enough energy to heat, shape and mold the perfect symbol of her affection for him. 

She soon learned that it was harder for her to perform larger magical proportions when she was in control of her emotions. When she lost herself due to anger, fear, or sadness, that was when she did her best magic yet. Uma was grateful for not having to feel an abundance of these emotions. However, she still wished she could perform to her greatest ability whenever she wanted. At the same time, Uma reminded herself to use her magic as little as possible. She did not want to be seen as a greater being than each of her crew members. It was crucial that she continue to do everyday tasks on her own as she had always done. 

Uma sighed and used the back of her hand to wipe beads of sweat from her forehead. Her shell powered down and dimmed until it was dull. One thing she had not anticipated were the bouts of dizziness almost every time she used her powers. She shook her head trying to ward off the wooziness. She slowly stood and pushed open the door to the washroom with a loud creak. Harry looked at her and frowned. 

“Are ye okay?”

“Yeah, just a little tired.” It wasn’t a lie. She was exhausted. 

“Come lay down.” Harry took her hand and led her to the bed. 

Uma did not bother to object. 

He tucked their bedsheets around her before climbing in himself. 

Once his arm slide around her, Uma’s eyes closed almost instantly. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uma began to awaken after what seemed like hours of deep sleep. 

She would have slept longer if it weren’t for the deep, guttural snoring. 

_Ugh._

She wished Harry would shut up. 

_Wait, Harry doesn’t snore. The only one that does is…_

“Gil?” Uma startled a little. She was surprised to see him lying in the bed with his feet in her face. His bandana was pulled down low over his eyes as he slept with his arms folded behind his head. 

“Gil!” Uma shoved his large feet away from her. He gave a final snort before pulling his bandana back and peeking at her.

“Wh-” “Huh?” he had forgotten where he was. 

“Where’s Harry?” Uma’s eyes were wide, the worry was starting to set in. 

“Oh! He’s okay. He sent me in here so I could bring you somewhere after you woke up. You were napping when I got here so uh, yeah I thought I’d…”

“Bring me where?” Uma asked cutting him off. 

Gil smiled brightly. Uma lifted an eyebrow at him, “what’s going on?”

“Do you want to freshen up before we go?” Gil brushed off her question. 

“Freshen up? Boy, what are you talkin’ about?” Uma was in no mood for his strange behavior. 

“Trust me,” Gil smiled sweetly. He was wearing her back down in record time. 

_Who can stay mad at that face?_

“Okay…” Uma huffed and walked towards the washroom. 

Uma looked at herself in the fractured mirror. 

_I mean, I guess my hair is fine._

It looked the same as always. Except after spending so much time on the beach the sun had begun to bleach her hair. She had varying shades of teal all throughout her wavy hair and braids. She brushed her teeth, gurgled some water, and splashed some on her face. 

She dried her face when she noticed a wispy dress hanging on the towel rack; the rack was more like nails that curved out of the wall. Her heart jumped about in her chest wildly. 

_It couldn’t be._

It was cream-colored with thin straps. She ran her hand across the fabric. It had the same pattern as fishnet but was soft and gentle against her skin. Small pieces of blue and green sea glass hung from the hem of the dress. The texture gave it a tattered look even though it was a new creation. It was so simple that Uma had a hard time explaining why it was perfect for her. She considered herself to be very complex.

This was _her_ wedding dress. She undressed and slipped the dress over her head. It fit her small frame perfectly and accentuated her waist. The gown stopped right above her ankles. With every twist or turn the sea glass would swing and jingle like wind chimes. 

Uma glided out of the room. 

“You did this.” She said to Gil, unable to hide her smile. 

Gil simply stood and extended his arm towards her. She took it and he pulled her into a hug. They swayed side to side as they embraced. 

“You look beautiful,” he spoke softly. 

Uma bit her lip to keep her eyes from getting misty. 

“Thank you.” Uma whispered. 

They walked out of the room and made their way to the deck. 

Uma felt her stomach tighten. She was extremely nervous. However, she was relieved that she had managed to finish Harry’s wedding band that afternoon. 

She gasped and marveled at the sight in front of her. 

Jars of fireflies lit their way from the stairs to the grand altar underneath a crescent moon. It contained woven palm tree leaves and tropical island flowers. Hibiscus flower petals lined the pathway to the altar. 

Gil guided her as they met Desiree who placed a yellow, hibiscus flower in Uma’s hair. Uma nodded her thanks as they continued to make their way to the alter. 

As they got closer Uma could see Jonas, Bonny, and Gonzo. Gonzo stood quietly on the right side of the altar while the girls stood on the left. Finally, she caught sight of Harry. He was dressed in the long, red coat he had worn when they first met. His dark hair was pushed back away from his face. It was too easy to focus on his handsome face and brilliantly blue eyes. He was truly a vision. 

_Like always._

Uma was glad she had taken Gil’s advice and given herself a once over before they left. 

_Good looking out, Gil._

Jonas took his place directly underneath the altar. He had a worn, leather-bound book in his hands. 

_Um, what? Jonas is officiating the ceremony? This’ll be interesting._

He wore a different hat than usual (literally). This one was more, erm, formal? Uma wondered if he wore it only for this type of occasion. 

Harry gazed at Uma lovingly. 

_There goes that clench again._

Gil placed Uma’s hand in Harry’s. He then took his place on the side of the altar next to Gonzo. 

Jonas looked at Harry and Uma and began to speak. 

“Dearly wicked, we are gathered here today to…” Jonas paused and snapped his book shut. 

_What the…_

“I never could stand reading directly from this book...” He took a flask from his pocket and knocked back a swig. 

The rest of the crew stifled their laughter. 

“Aw, well. I tried.” 

Harry and Uma both stared at him. Uma in subtle amusement and Harry with growing impatience. 

“Harry has some vowels he would like to share with his bride,” Jonas said as he nodded at him. Harry took a small scroll of weathered parchment from his coat pocket. Uma glanced at the writing scrawled in kohl. Most likely the same kohl that lined his eyes. 

_Wait for it…_

Harry then pulled his monocle from his breast pocket. Along with his pocket watch and family ring, it was one of his most prized possessions. Harry put the glass lens up to his eye, blinked, cleared his throat, and began reading. Uma grinned up at him. 

_“Uma, ye are my night, my moon, and my stars._

_The truth is I’ve loved ye for years even though_

_ye never even knew of my existence. First, I fell in love_

_with yer beautiful face and then I learned of yer courage_

_and strength. Ye are not of this world, love. But a goddess,_

_built from the skies and sea. Complete with a huge_

_heart, big enough to love an insane, pirate boy and his best_

_mate. I never thought I could find me home in a person. But_

_ye are me home now. I will follow ye to the end of the Earth_

_‘til the end of time. Starting now to forever,_

_we ride with the tide.”_

Tears were streaming down Uma’s face. Harry used his thumb to wipe them away. Gil wiped at his eyes with the back of his fist. 

“Uma?” Jonas questioned.

 _That’s a hard act to follow._ Uma nodded and smiled at Harry as she began. 

_“When I met you, I had been used to being alone._

_Like a lot of us from the Isle, I was broken_

_both physically and mentally when I found you._

_You and your best mate”_ Uma paused and smiled at Gil. 

_“…cared for me when I had no_

_one. It’s rare to find someone that understands_

_and accepts you for who you are. But in you I_

_found both of those things. Because of you,_

_I learned how to trust. You taught me how to_

_come to terms with sadness but most importantly_

_how to love. Basically, because of you, I’ve turned_

_into a big wuss.”_ Everyone burst out laughing. 

Even Jonas let out a snort _._

 _“I mean that in the worst way possible.”_ Uma winked at Harry. _“I love you,”_ Uma finished. 

Harry had briefly stopped his sniffling as he laughed along with everyone else. He had turned a soft shade of rose as he tried to pull himself together. 

Moments later, Jonas allowed the groom to kiss the bride. Harry placed a hand on the back of Uma’s head to draw her near and captured her lips with his. Everyone tossed their hats and bandanas into the air. It was time to make their way to the beach for the reception. Uma turned back towards the deck as she and Harry walked hand in hand. She began to grab the jars of fireflies spread around the alter. Harry smiled at her and carefully began to collect the jars as well. 

Once they were on the beach, the jars opened with a pop. The twinkling bugs poured out and twittered into the sky. 

“Be free,” Uma whispered. 

Harry and Uma held each other as the light from the fireflies filled the sky with light and then slowly drifted away.

“Hey! C’mon, hurry up!” The crew summoned them to join the rest of the group. Gil had built a fire, while Gonzo was busy lighting it.

“Mrs. Hook” Harry’s voice was quiet yet sultry. Uma shut her eyes and melted into his touch.

“We cannot miss our own party.” Harry noticed her reaction and grinned cheekily. Uma opened her eyes and felt bashful. He grabbed her hand as she let him lead her to the party. 

Harry and Uma perched onto some driftwood next to Gil. 

“I don’t know when you guys did all this, but it means a lot,” she said gratefully.

“Don’t mention it, ya wuss” Jonas snickered. 

Uma made a mental note to pickpocket his flask and sift a handful of sand into it later. 

“Oh, so you got jokes now? But for real though thank you guys,” Uma finished. 

“That’s coming from both of us,” Harry spoke up. The rest of the crew returned their smiles. 

As Jonas and Harry arm-wrestled over who would fetch more rum from the ship, Uma turned to face Gil.

“You did an amazing job on my dress. But how’d you find the time during training?” 

“The same way you found time to make Harry’s ring,” Gil smirked. 

“You guys knew?” Uma laughed. 

“Uh, yeah! I mean he suspected and we both just kind of figured. That’s when we got the crew together to start planning and getting everything ready. Oh, and Harry just took your measurements while you were sleeping,” Gil shrugged. 

“Ah,” Uma chuckled, “clever.”

Something else had been weighing on Uma’s mind. She was unsure of how to address it. She figured she may as well dive right in as she did with anything else. 

“I just wanted you to know…” Uma hesitated until Gil made eye contact with her again. 

“That nothing’s going to change between us.” 

Gil smiled, “why would it?” 

“Nothing’s going to keep us apart,” he said with so much certainty it made Uma smile. 

“I know that’s right.” They both brought up their hands and pounded fists. “Now, where’s Harry with that rum?”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Where’d the pearls come from?” Uma asked Harry as she examined her wedding ring. 

“Gil and I found a reef not far from here. He’s been helping me practice me swimming. The place was filled with-“

“Mussels. Like the ones we had a few nights back,” Uma smiled. 

“Yea’,” Harry said softly. He smiled back at her as she cuddled into his shoulder. 

The two of them had leaned their backs against the driftwood as they stared up at the stars. The rest of the crew had gone back to the ship for the night, leaving Harry and Uma alone on the beach. 

“Ye really outdid yerself with mine, love,” Harry blinked down at his ring finger. The setting of his band looked very much like his father’s ring she now wore. Oversized and made of iron except for one small amber stone she had magically changed to a scarlet shade. 

“I’m glad you like it”, Uma said.

“But if you knew I was working on it then you could have given me less hell when I asked for privacy,” Uma playfully sized him up. 

“Uma, ye know that I’m a nosy bastard,” Harry remarked. 

“Too true,” Uma grabbed the bottle from Harry’s lap and sipped.

“Hey! ye weren’t supposed to agree,” he feigned being wounded by her words. 

Uma laughed and gently nudged him with her elbow.

He elbowed her back. 

She grinned as she stretched out her arm and shoved his shoulder. 

When he did the same, she quickly set the bottle aside before putting him in a headlock. 

They burst into laughter as he struggled to get out of the hold before standing, lifting her off the ground. 

Uma shrieked and tried to wrestle him back towards the ground. 

They both tumbled back down into the sand and snickered like small, woodland animals. 

“I had you,” Uma breathed out.

“Yeah, bu' only for a second,” Harry scoffed.

Harry suddenly caught her gaze. His eyes darkened despite being the color of aquamarine. 

“For badness sakes, Harry, can you _please_ stop looking at me like that?” 

Harry paused; his demeanor was like a predator ready to pounce. He threw his whole body onto hers as he consumed her in a kiss. 

He gently pulled her into his lap. She tangled her fingers in his hair as she tried to pull him closer. 

Harry tilted her chin back with one finger and showered fluttery kisses down her neck. Uma moaned giving Harry the signal he needed to continue. His teeth and tongue found the cartilage of her ear as he slid the straps of her dress down. Uma pulled away from him when he tugged too hard. 

“Uh uh. Don’t rip my dress,” her brows were knitted as she looked at him. Harry quickly nodded his understanding. He lifted both of her arms up. 

“Now lift that fabulous tush of yers,” she complied and slowly lifted her behind as he carefully slipped the fabric off her body. He prepared to toss it aside but felt Uma’s eyes searing a burning hole into his flesh. He looked back at her and smiled meekly as he folded it neatly and placed it to the side. 

*

*

*

*

Uma met each of Harry’s thrusts as their hips collided. Perspiration dripped from their bodies and mixed with the course-grains of sand. They ignored how they would feel about removing the granules that covered their skin later. Uma’s back arched as she whimpered. Her eyes squeezed shut; her nails punctured the skin on his lower back causing Harry to let out a strained groan. Now that she had found her release, he would have his. He called out in a language that reminded her of the old world. He heaved out one last sigh and lay next to her, careful not to force his full weight upon her. They panted heavily as they watched each other. Uma reached to plant another gentle kiss on his lips. Her shell illuminated a soft white glow. Harry smiled; he learned that the shell was fond of him. Now whenever it glowed, he took it as a compliment. 

“Round one…” Harry paused to take a breath.

“…completed”

“Yeah how about we have the next one in bed?” Uma suggested. 

“I second that” Harry raised a limp finger in the air before dropping his palm back to the sand. 

They took their time before standing and making their way to the glowing waters of the grotto. They rinsed off under the waterfall before deciding to spend the rest of their wedding night on the ship. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uma stood under the stony, craggy entryway into the gulf. It looked as if someone had unearthed the giant stone, carved a jagged half-circle into it, and deemed it the entrance to this sacred place. The ground beneath her feet was flat and smooth except for its thin, hair-like rifts. Uma looked to her left and saw two steps that could not have been more than four inches deep. Small pebbles made up the surface that faced outward. Uma looked down at her bare feet as she walked towards those steps and ascended them. She stood on the edge of the white, stone slate. Another step and she would fall in. The sun’s light filtered through the blue skies, allowing her to see all the way to the sea’s floor. The white sands intermingled with the jade green algae and sea moss. Uma longed to rake her hands across its softness. Uma gracefully leaped into the water. Her skin tingled in delight at the familiar sensation of the water pressing into her skin. Uma swam downwards until she could reach the floor. The carpet of underwater sea foliage roved across her cheek like a sweet kiss. Uma sat on the bed of algae and took in her view. 

She sensed something approaching. Every hair on her body stood on end. She saw the shadowy figure swimming slowly towards her. Uma smiled as it got closer. 

“Sphyrna” 

Uma reached out to stroke her fin. Sphyrna lingered there. This was their routine. Sphyrna kept Uma company while Uma provided solace. 

“You left me hanging the other day,” Uma said as she continued to pat her. She moved her head to either side not even a quarter of an inch. 

Uma sighed, “yeah, I know. Sorry about that. She scared me too.” 

_Okay, on to a lighter subject._

“Harry and I are married now,” Uma said with a grin. Sphyrna’s tail glided back and forth in the water. 

“You really named your pet after it’s genus?” 

Uma startled and looked over her left shoulder. Blue looked at her with a devious smirk. Maybe he thought his snarky comment would keep Uma from noticing his bruised eyebrow and busted lip. Sphyrna lunged for him; Uma folded an arm around her to keep her steady.

“You know you’re literally bleeding in the ocean? Near a den of sharks. _And_ you have the nerve to make snide comments.” 

Sphyrna swam past Blue, body checking him with her tail in the process. 

Uma grumbled. Though she could not blame her for leaving. Between her mom and Blue, company was just too poor these days.

“Yeah, well that’s who I am. And sharks attack, that’s what they do.”

“Hammerheads are considered harmless.” 

“Didn’t seem that way to me”

“You didn’t exactly make a good first impression on her.” Uma rolled her eyes. 

Blue smirked. He enjoyed seeing her irritated. It only made her that much more attractive. 

“What happened to you? And why are you here?” 

“Ursula’s coming. She’s close.”

Uma avoided repeating her first question. “You know you have a habit of telling me things I already know?” 

“You don’t understand! You refused to hand over your powers and now you’re all in danger.” Blue’s tone became urgent. 

“Yeah, and why do you care?”

“I don’t, it’s just…”

Uma frowned at him. 

_I don’t have time for this._

“Blue, why are you here?” 

“I need air” Blue looked like he had a bad case of the hiccups. He took in small breaths of air that sent bubbles of oxygen to the surface. 

“What?” Uma asked. She looked at him skeptically. 

Blue pointed towards the surface and began to swim. 

Uma followed him. 

He gasped for air as his lungs expanded. 

“Well you did say you were only part sea-creature,” Uma remarked. She and Blue trod water as they stayed above the surface. 

“I am” 

“So…” Uma was waiting for more of an explanation.

“And sea witch, like you." He grinned. "That’s how I was able to get us here.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“You thought you were dreaming, right? Well, you sort of are. I brought both of us here.” 

“How?” 

“I just told you. You’re not the only child of a sea witch.” 

“But Tia Dalma…”

Blue spoke over Uma, “Calypso. An old legend. No. The goddess herself, bound in human form…fury or favor you not be knowing, but when the mood strikes her, and it’s her favor she bestows on a lucky sailor, well, you’ve heard…legendary.” Blue used a menacing tone as he spoke the legend of his mother’s origin. 

As far as Uma knew, Ursula was the only sea witch known to the Isle. When the townsfolk said Tia belonged to the ocean, Uma supposed the woman had drowned. Perhaps Ursula did not want her to know that she wasn’t the only sea being that had possessed powers. There had been a sea goddess among them, and her power was far greater than Ursula’s.

Uma remembered seeing a picture of Tia Dalma in one of those huge family tree books in the library at Serpent Prep. All villains and their offspring were included in these books. Tia was beautiful and mysterious. Back then, Uma had wished to have locs just like Tia’s someday. Her sovereignty had been translated through her photograph. How could it not have been known that the woman was magical? 

She took in Blue’s appearance. She had never cared to examine his features before, except for noticing his “punchable face” as Harry had put it. Aside from his honey-colored eyes, he looked like his mother. He shared the same light-brown, tawny skin. The ends of his sandy brown hair formed a crown of tight curls. It made sense that he looked human. His mother was a goddess trapped in the body of a human. And, his father hadn’t always looked the way he appeared today. 

“I’m still not following. Why use your magic to come talk to me?” 

“I wanted to warn you before time ran out. You may have known she was coming but not when. You don’t have much time”

“You’re still talking in riddles.” What the hell did he mean ‘before time ran out’ and what happened to his face?

“Can you at least tell me if Grayson and Gatlin are alive?” He smiled for a split second then let it drop. 

“She let them go. They weren’t the ones that shared any information after all.” 

“So, my mom did this to you?” 

Blue stared at Uma but said nothing. He was determined to keep his secret. 

“I wanna know what the hell is going on!” Thunder cracked overhead.

Blue looked at the sky above them and smiled. 

“We could’ve been perfect together. If you hadn’t of chosen that Hook kid” he eyed Uma’s wedding ring with regret.

He abruptly turned a dark shade of violet. His eyes became bloodshot. His neck bubbled with welts and bruises. 

“Blue, what’s going on?” 

“My time’s up” 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it! Love y'all.  
> Mahalo.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while...but here's chapter 3 :) Since it is the 'final showdown', this chapter is pretty long.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Uma gasped loudly. She thrashed about before sitting up straight in her and Harry’s bed. Harry woke up immediately; he grabbed for his hook. 

“Uma! What is it?” 

“She’s killing him,” Uma stilled as she coached herself to control her breathing. She had to keep herself in check. They knew this day was approaching. 

“Who? Who’s killing who?” Harry lowered his hook to scratch his chin with it. 

“My mom. She’s killing Blue”

“I’m failing to see how this is a problem, love” Harry barely finished before they were hit by an odd sensation. It seemed to be coming from below them. There was either a problem coming from the hull itself or something was pursuing them from within the ocean. 

“The hell was that?” Harry questioned. 

There it was again. The floor beneath them vibrated and caused them to quiver to and fro along with it. 

“She’s here,” Uma said. She threw on her sheer ruffled shirt and pulled up a pair of leathers altered to fit her frame. 

“What?” Harry hoped that being roused from his sleep was causing him to hear things. 

“Blue. He gave me a warning; she’s here.” She had just said that Ursula was killing him and now suddenly Ursula was here? 

“How?” Harry didn’t wait for an answer as he slipped on his leathers, shirt, and boots. Uma was ready to bolt out of the door. 

“I’ll explain later. Let’s go!” Harry expected this answer and would make it a point to get real answers from her later. He ran after her. 

They ran to the main deck and peered towards the ocean. They saw large ripples surrounding their ship. 

The twilight sky foretold the brewing storm. The sun was due to rise in twenty minutes; the sky should have been brimming with neon colors. Instead, the lovely hues of blue and pink were losing dominance; being forced aside by darkness. 

“Gil,” Uma murmured as she quickened her pace towards his, Jonas’, and Gonzo’s quarters. Harry tossed Uma her sword and sheathed his. 

“I’ll get him. Wake the girls,” he suggested. Uma nodded and Harry made his way to their room.

Uma grabbed a torch and burst through the doors. 

“Desiree, Bonny” Uma called as she walked towards the two sleeping girls. She saw something twitching in the darkness as it made its way toward their beds. It shrank away after it saw Uma. Uma lifted the torch higher so she could see. It yelped and backed towards the wall. Whatever this thing was, it was afraid of fire. 

“Uma?” Desiree jumped up. 

“What the hell?” Bonny's eyes were wide as she saw the mysterious creature. 

Uma quickly placed the torch in a holder on the wall. She swiftly used both hands and grabbed it by its collar, slamming it to the wall next to the torch. Desiree and Bonny scrambled to their feet, eager to see who or _what_ had entered their room. 

All three girls looked down at the troll that was barely four feet tall. He was, however, at least five feet wide. 

“She got trolls workin’ for her now?” Uma could not believe this. 

_He must be a sellout._

“Why’d she send you here?” Bonny shouted at him.

“I won’t say a thing,” the troll turned his nose up at her.

“Oh, you won’t?” Uma questioned. Uma drew her right arm back with her palm facing downwards. He was about to be slapped into the middle of next week. 

“Okay! I’ll talk,” he squeaked.

“She wanted me to come in and eliminate these two while they slept. She said it’d be an easy task.” 

All three girls scowled down at him. 

“Check his pockets” Uma nodded to Bonny. Bonny began to carefully frisk the troll.

“Hey!” he protested. 

“Quiet!” Uma barked at him. 

“I thought trolls only cater to their own?” Desiree asked him. 

“Have you all been under a rock?” The troll behaved as if their oblivion had truly offended him. Uma rolled her eyes. 

_Something like that._

“Ursula controls most sectors on the Isle now, including some of the private ones. Even Hook’s beside himself. He’s up and disappeared.” 

_Captain Hook, her father-in-law, in hiding? Yeah right. He was no doubt plotting his next move from the comfort of his own (currently unknown) turf._

Bonny handed Uma two vials, one blue and the other purple as well as a knife she had retrieved from the troll’s pocket. 

Uma grabbed the torch and nudged the troll towards Desiree. The troll trembled at the torch in her hands. 

“Chill,” she mumbled. If the man had not only been following orders, then she would have burned him at the stake. Still, he had almost killed two of her best friends. She would keep her eyes on him. Besides, he had a serious attitude problem. 

Desiree kept him restrained as they all walked out of the room. 

The four of them came face to face with the guys plus an additional. Harry restrained a tall, weathered man. His age was somewhat ambiguous. The man had surely resided near the port. The life of a sailor, and the unrelenting sun, had a way of aging people prematurely. 

Uma looked at the man and back at Harry. 

“Jonas was interrogating him when I walked in”

“He snuck in, ready to knife us all,” Jonas confirmed.

“Same with this one,” Desiree said as she shoved the troll forward. 

“Question is, where’s the rest of ‘em. Where’s _she_?” Jonas asked skeptically. Everyone looked about, on the ship, and beyond the horizon. The clouds formed a vortex in the sky. It looked like the funnel would touch down on their oceanic path at any time. 

“It’s still so dark,” Gonzo complained. 

“Sun’s rising,” Bonny was hopeful. 

“But there’s a storm coming; we still won’t be able to see a thing. Uma, are you able to get the storm under control?” Gil asked. 

“My mom’s responsible for this storm. I didn’t create it so I can’t influence it,” Uma said. 

_Stupid magical limitations._

Everyone stumbled as a large swell rocked the ship side to side. Harry grabbed out for Uma as she tried to regain her balance. 

“Tie these two up, they can’t keep quiet forever,” Harry handed the man off to Gil as Desiree and the troll followed behind them. 

“Jonas, Bonny, Gonzo, and I will furl the sails,” Harry stated as they headed for the back of the ship.

“I won’t be gone long, love,” Harry whispered against the shell of her ear. He felt guilty for leaving her even if only for a second, but he had to see to this personally. He had the most experience as a sailor. He felt relief in knowing that Gil would be nearby. 

“What kind of ship doesn’t have storm sails…” Harry mumbled under his breath. 

“Don’t start with me, Hook,” Jonas jabbered on. “At least this ship still sails.” 

This was not the time for the guys to have a measuring contest. Witnessing the demise of _The Lost Revenge_ had been devastating. Losing the _Kraken’s Crest_ was not an option. 

“Everyone make sure you have your weapons. I don’t know what game she’s playing but she’s definitely here,” Uma said. 

She was left standing on deck as lookout until everyone returned. She kept her hand on her cutlass. She wiggled her ankle and felt the sheath of her dagger running along the expanse of her calf. The wind whipped past her ears like the call of an apparition. Uma fingered the shell against her chest. Nothing. Not even a faint glow. It was as if the ocean repelled its connection with her in favor of her mother. 

“Come back to me,” Uma said as she pressed her lips to its ridges. She drew in a breath and pushed it out evenly. A flash of lightning lit the entire skyline. Thunder rode in on its tail; it crackled mightily. A ragged ship came into view. It sailed steadily in their direction.

“More company,” Gil said. Uma caught her breath, stopping herself from jumping at the sound of his voice as he and Desiree reappeared next to her. Desiree handed Gil a pair of binoculars; he peered at the ship carefully. 

“More pirates, goons, henchman, and trolls. And hmmm…?” Gil said.

“What is it?” Uma asked. 

“I don’t know. These tiny things… running all crazy around the deck.” Gil frowned as he tried to think of what they could be. Uma took the binoculars from him and looked for herself. 

“They’re crabs.” 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uma kept observing what appeared to be a bit of an ordeal on the other ship. Ursula’s minions tried to shoo them off deck and into the ocean. Others ran around and shrieked as the crabs had them in their clutch and held on for dear life. Was someone pranking Ursula? This obviously was not part of _her_ plan. Of course, Ursula could not be bothered to help them in their time of distress. She was nowhere in sight. 

“I don’t get it,” Desiree said in a monotone. “Why are there crabs running around? Are they lining up to fight us too?” Uma quirked her shoulders in a shrug. 

Her knees buckled as the ship jerked to the side. Gil pulled her away from the ledge; she quickly caught the binoculars as they slipped past her fingertips.

Uma turned to look back at the minions’ ship when their own ship rocked again. The water made a crashing noise and shot into the air like a hose. Uma saw numerous limbs before she saw her. 

Ursula looked at the three VKs in front of her. 

“Gil” she greeted him dryly. “This has turned out to be quite the extended fishing trip, I’d say. What do you think?”

“I….” Gil stammered. Ursula moved on quickly. 

“Bonny” she nodded at the girl. She had no business with this VK. Although that would not stop her from having her killed. It all depended on Ursula’s mood. 

“It’s Desiree,” she corrected. Ursula moved on once again. She set a steely gaze on Uma. 

Uma inhaled and lifted her chin. She poised her face to seem neutral. 

“I’m willing to give you one more chance. Trade me your powers for the safety of your crew.”

 _The crew. I thought she said for the safety of me, Harry, and the baby_. 

Even if Uma complied and honored the trade. Someone would be sacrificed. 

“What about your unborn grandchild?” Uma questioned. She already knew the answer. Ursula could not care any less about her or her child. Ursula smiled and cocked her head; she looked down at Uma’s wedding ring. She cackled wickedly. 

“So, it’s done then?”

“As you said, it’s been written” Uma stared her down. 

Gil stepped behind her, “don’t do it” he whispered against the back of her head. 

He grazed her hand with his fingertips and replaced the binoculars for a shuriken. Uma kept her eyes on Ursula as she quietly accepted it. As always, Ursula was several steps ahead of them. She would not let herself be harmed by anymore flying objects. Not this time.

She created a violent blast that sent Desiree and Gil flying into the air. They both landed onto the wooden flooring with a thud. She then sent an appendage in his direction. It grabbed him by his neck and lifted him from his feet. 

_This is not how this was supposed to go._

“Let him go!” Uma demanded. Ursula held her ground. 

“You want my magic, not him,” Uma tried to reason. 

“So, now I have your attention? Drop it!” Ursula snarled. Uma loosened her grip; the weapon clattered to the ground. 

“Uma” Gil strained. 

“Who’s to say she won’t kill him anyway,” Desiree pointed out.

Ursula flexed her grip on Gil’s throat. Uma’s mind flashed back to the purple pallor of Blue’s skin in his final moments. She had witnessed a man dying. His life had slipped away before her very eyes. 

“Stop!” Uma shrieked. Ursula smirked but had yet to ease her grip. 

“I’ll do it. Let him go,” she pleaded. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry and Jonas were still arguing when they heard yelling voices. Harry immediately stopped what he was doing and looked below them. 

“What are you doing? Hurry up- “Jonas scolded him. 

Harry shushed him. He gestured for Jonas to look beneath their feet and listen to what was happening on the main deck. Jonas listened briefly and his eyes grew round as he nodded his realization. Harry readied himself to jump onto the deck. Jonas stifled him, grabbing Harry by his coat pockets. He shook his head fiercely. 

Harry was on the verge of tearing Jonas to shreds along with Ursula. Then he realized he may only make things worse for his wife and best mate. Uma could handle this. She would convince Ursula to release Gil. He would wait until Uma was in the ocean, where Ursula wanted her. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ursula immediately loosened her grip. Gil fell several feet and landed onto the wood paneling once again. He slumped to the side as Uma rushed to him. 

“Get into the water,” Ursula commanded Uma. 

“Heal him first!” Uma countered as Ursula rolled her eyes. 

“I know you can. Do it! Or there’s no deal.” Uma challenged her. Ursula released an annoyed sigh. She stretched her arm towards the blonde and slightly twisted her wrist. A warm golden light shone and erased the bruises along his throat. He sighed a shallow breath. 

“Now get in!” Ursula screeched. 

Uma smoothed a golden curl from his face. She turned and placed a hand on Desiree’s cheek. The redhead shook her head and clutched her hand tightly; her eyes were full of panic. Uma offered her a reassuring smile. She rose to her feet and held her head high as she mounted the rail and jumped into the ocean. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Showtime. Ay, first mate?” Jonas called to Harry.

“Aye?” Harry looked at him. 

“Get aft,” Jonas said with a smirk. Harry tipped his hat and made haste towards the helm. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Uma and Ursula floated gracefully on top of the waves. 

Uma glared at Ursula. Her shoulders slowly heaved; her insides burbled with anger. 

The petty sea witch had almost killed her best friend just to make a point. Just because she could. 

_Why am I surprised?_ But that was not the only thing on Uma’s mind. 

“You killed him,” Uma said quietly. 

“Who?-“ Ursula was vaguely confused until she remembered. 

“Oh, yes. That pathetically human, fool of a pirate? Yes, I did.” There was no trace of remorse in her voice. She may as well have squashed a fly. 

“Why?” Uma questioned. 

“After visiting this island, he suddenly grows a heart? I’ll say it again, pathetic” Ursula shook her head in aggravation. 

“Because he told us what you were up to? That you were coming?” Uma questioned. 

“Precisely” Ursula enunciated each syllable. 

Uma narrowed her eyes, “he didn’t tell you where I was, did he?”

“The potion did that. How else would I have known where to send him?” Ursula smiled. 

Uma chewed her bottom lip. 

_He didn’t do it._

“I suppose he’s getting his revenge on my crew now,” Ursula gestured to the ship and shrugged. Numerous crabs still scurried about. 

Uma breathed out. _Of course_. The crab. That was his mother’s symbol. She was a heathen goddess. It allowed her to take on many forms, but she had chosen this one. Like mother, like son. 

Suddenly Uma saw a cloud of white smoke rise above the water surrounding them. It formed into a giant hand complete with long, bony fingers and needle-sharp nails. Uma stared at it in both fear and wonder. It seeped into her open mouth. She felt its nails clawing at her throat and scouring her insides. Uma clutched her throat in pain. She screamed but her vocal cords would not release a sound. Her head was throbbing; her body threatened to succumb to weakness. Ursula’s escalation in power was allowing her to triple in size, she laughed a triumphantly. Uma felt increasingly insignificant. 

She looked down and saw the water churning around her-her legs! Where had her tentacles gone? Why had she turned human again? 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Uma! Hold on!” She was falling into a dizzying sleep. She heard Harry’s voice as she continued to fall down the rabbit hole.

“Look out!” he yelled. 

Uma forced herself to open her eyes. The pointy edge of the bowsprit was coming towards her and Ursula. Uma groaned as she willed her heavy legs and arms to swim out of the way. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry held the position of the wheel with all his might; he drove the ship straight into Ursula’s torso. He slammed his eyes shut as he braced for the impact. 

He knew he had succeeded. So, why did his heart fumble once he heard both Uma and Ursula screaming? 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uma watched anxiously as Harry steered the ship. She briefly shut her eyes right before he rammed Ursula. She expected to hear her mother’s howls.

Instead, she was now doubled over and screaming at the onset of the pain. She heard her mother’s cries of agony while she cursed Harry. She could not place where the sharp pain was coming from. Uma’s hand finally found her abs. Her index and middle fingers teased the edge of the wound, threatening entrance to her insides. She drew her hand back and saw blood. Her eyes welled with tears; her mouth dropped open and released a cry of despair.

_What’s happened?_

She glanced at her mother. The mutilated woman had pulled herself free from the ship. Both of her monstrous, gigantic hands clutched each side. She was ready to smash it to pieces subjecting everyone aboard to a watery death. 

Uma gasped and coughed, choking back down the blood that tried to escape her lips. She felt her shell flicker before releasing a full glimmer. 

_Yes, I knew you’d come back to me._

_\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

“What happened?” Harry used each hand to hurl the prisoners to their feet. 

“Why did Uma get hurt after I attacked Ursula?” He demanded. Gil was behind him hovering over the two men. 

“We ain’t telling you a thing, you’ll have to kill us first,” the pirate responded. 

“Humph, yeah, what he said” the troll huffed, having the worst luck at trying to seem brave. His shoulders were hunched all the way up to his ears. 

Harry’s reddened eyes turned completely bloodshot. He yelled a throat-splitting battle cry at both of their faces; it reminded them of the roar that belonged to the infamous Scar. 

He drew both men from the ground and slammed their bodies together. They sprawled out onto the deck like overcooked noodles. 

“…Harry, we can’t get a word out of them if they’re dead,” Desiree told him as she crouched down next to them. She used a tiny finger to pry open their eyes and check their vitals. 

“We can’t help her anyway if we don’t abandon ship! Ursula’s gonna sink us for sure,” Jonas reminded them. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uma’s shell had shown grace and lent her temporary strength. Her hands shakily raised into the air. She waited for a few faltering heartbeats. The wind picked up at her command. It changed directions. Instead of slanting one way, the rain now fell in the other direction. Lightning cracked above her. It smacked onto the top of the waves. Uma saw the electricity sift through the current, she shut her eyes at the welcoming sensation. It soothed her skin and trickled through her veins. 

_This has to work. It has to._

She brought her arms back to her sides and curved her fingers inward _._ She pulled both arms back before quickly throwing them forward. Uma commanded a blast of electricity and gusts of wind; they joined forces and shoved enormous, Ursula away from the ship. She landed with a splash that sent a tidal wave towards its path. Uma used her hand to steady the swell before it toppled the _Kraken’s Crest._

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“She did it, she saved us,” Bonny said quietly. She was still frazzled from all the movement forced upon the ship. 

“Now, it’s time to save her. Look! She must’ve dropped these, they came from the troll,” Desiree held up the mysterious blue and purple vials. 

Harry’s eyes lit up, he reached for them, but Gil stopped him. 

“Let me, if they still don’t wanna talk then that’s where you come in,” Gil said. Harry clenched his jaw but accepted. 

Gil stepped over to the motionless men on the ground. Gil used his large palm and tapped them both on the cheek. They jostled and awakened. 

“Hey! What are these?” he asked. They both looked ready to object until they saw Harry behind him. And beside Harry was Desiree, wielding a torch. 

The troll pulled both of his lips into his mouth. He looked like he had just sucked a lemon. 

“The purple vial performs the binding spell and the blue undoes the spell.”

“Speak bloody English,” Harry spat.

“Ursula must have placed the binding spell on Uma not long ago,” the troll continued cautiously. He dared look Harry in the eye as he spoke. Instead, he peered at the pirate from his peripheral. The rest of the crew gestured for him to elaborate. 

“She would have had to lay hands on her,” he finished quietly. 

“Of course,” Harry shut his eyes and exhaled. He thought of the print Ursula had left on Uma’s neck that day on shore. 

“I should have been there,” he cursed himself. 

“Then why would _you_ have it?” Desiree implied that the troll couldn’t be trusted. 

“Ursula gave the vials to the brightest of the lot. As a precaution, we were to administer it to her in case Uma would be harmed first. So, Ursula wouldn’t be harmed as a result-”

“What do we do? How do we use that to break the spell?” Harry spoke over him. 

“She, erm, Uma must consume - I mean drink it” Harry jumped to his feet. He took the vials from Gil and carefully tucked them away in his pocket. 

“Harry, where are you going?” Gil looked concerned. 

“To rescue me wife,” He readied himself to balance on the ledge. 

“We’ve just barely resumed your lessons” Gil gestured to the vast ocean that was thousands of feet deep.

“I don’t care if Tic Toc is after me. For her, I can, and I will _swim_ ,” Harry tossed his hat to the side and dived gracefully into the waves below them. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ursula’s eyes shot daggers at Uma. She had to admit, the girl was resilient. Just like she was. She was refusing to let herself slip away. However, Ursula was not finished with her just yet. The powdery, smoky hand reappeared and once again forced itself upon Uma’s body. She was helpless; her arms were outstretched as her head rolled back. Her shell dimmed again, and Uma’s world became obscured. The hand resurfaced on the waves before sinking beneath them. 

It stole whatever energy had remained as she faded away again. If only she could sleep. She had not any more energy to fight. 

Ursula regained control of the storm. The wind picked up; Ursula sent a gust of wind towards Uma. It whistled and jerked at her necklace until it snapped away from her neck, flying into Ursula’s hands. 

_No, Harry’s ring._ Uma reached a quivering hand out towards the necklace. 

Ursula used the fusion of her and Uma’s magic to heal herself. She was renewed and ready to see just what this magnitude of untapped ability could do. 

Uma began to sink down into the dark, roiling sea. She felt a familiar cold, smoothness glide across her skin. It ducked its head under her arm to keep her afloat. 

“Sphyrna,” Uma whispered with her eyes shut.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

“Uma!” Harry called in the distance.

“Where are you?” he cried frantically. 

“Sphyrna, please help, he can barely swim,” she was nodding off. She had one foot in the grave, they would be reunited soon. 

Sphyrna used her senses and glided in Harry’s direction. She carried Uma along with her.

Harry whipped his head around. He could not find her. The tide could have easily carried her away given her weakened state. 

Finally, Harry saw the long dorsal fin. His eyes widened in fear as the creature came closer. He reached for his hook and pointed it at the shark. Sphyrna carefully backed away from him. He frowned when he saw Uma’s delicate arm around the hammerhead. Harry quirked his head to the side in suspicion yet lowered his hook. 

“Sph-Sphyrna?” He asked. He remembered hearing Uma speak about the marine animal several times. She was Uma’s confidant of the high seas. And apparently much better at girl talk than he was. Sphyrna bucked her head, confirming her identity. What Uma had failed to mention was that the shark was over nine feet long. Even if she wasn’t, she _looked_ intimidating. Harry placed his hook back into his pocket, wondering if he should apologize and introduce himself. Since when had he turned into a pirate with manners? Sphyrna swam until his outstretched hand rested on top of her head. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Well never mind then, looks like she already knows who I am._

Harry slowly blinked his eyes and exhaled as he felt her flesh. 

_Whew. Okay, Hook, get a hold of yerself._

Sphyrna allowed a hesitant Harry to take hold of her side. With one arm around the marine animal, he used the other to gently pull Uma over to him. Her blood mingled with the sea; a spotlight of red water marking the whereabouts of the three of them. He hoped none of Sphyrna’s distant relatives would be joining them. Regret transformed his handsome face into a crestfallen expression. His shoulders heaved once as he began to cry.

“I’m so sorry, love,” he whispered. 

“Why you? The one that deserves it the least” Harry’s tears blended into the sea. He wiped his cheek with his shoulder and opened the blue vial. He tipped her head back and poured its contents into her parted lips, placing a gentle kiss on her cheekbone. Sphyrna edged closer to the two to maintain their balance. He was never good at waiting patiently. Not during matters of life and death. 

_Why isn’t anythin’ happening? The blasted troll said the blue vial undid the binding spell._

Harry continued weeping as he rested his head on his fist. Sphyrna nudged him. 

_Did I follow the instructions incorrectly? Was the purple vial the unbinding potion and the blue the binding potion?_

He growled at himself. 

_Urggghh! I can’t get anythin’ right!_

Sphyrna nudged him again. 

“What?” he asked her.

And that’s when he remembered the sappy, Auradonian saying, _True loves kiss,_

_works every time._

Harry became intrigued. He turned to Uma and cradled her head in his hands. He pressed a gentle kiss onto her lips. 

A light hand cupped his cheek. He gasped and broke the kiss. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“He swam too far, I can’t see them,” Gil said with concern as he ascended to the crow’s nest. 

“He’s made his way to her and there’s a a-shark!” Desiree yelped as she gazed through the binoculars. 

“What?!” Gil turned around and stared at her, hoping she mistook a dolphin for the sea predator. 

“I’m serious! It’s some kind of hammerhead.” 

“Gonzo, Bonny, keep your focus on Ursula and the ship.” Jonas seemed unbothered by Desiree’s observation. His concern was how to further protect the mast during this hellish storm. He knew this scenario was not good and would only get worse. Ursula had combined both her and Uma’s powers. Who knows what she was planning next? Surely it was along the lines of world domination. 

Bonny kept her eyes on the ship. The crew was still in a losing battle with the crabs. She had to admit it looked miserable. 

Gil jumped down and snatched the binoculars from Desiree. 

“Oh! That’s just Sphyrna. She’s a friend of Uma’s,” he said plainly. The crew turned in unison and gawked at Gil in shock. 

“Can we just focus!” Jonas screamed. He continued, “what is Ursula doing?” 

Surely Ursula was large enough to be visible to them all. However, a close-up could give them clues on her intentions. 

“She’s fiddling with Uma’s shell thingy” Gonzo replied in amusement. 

Ursula was slapping the object around in her palm. It refused to illuminate for her. The shell communicated directly with the ocean. Even with Uma’s powers in her possession, the ocean, and skies under her control, it repelled any attraction to her. If the relic would only work for Uma, then she would bring Uma to it. The lovesick Hook boy was already busy reviving her. She had been lucky that her antics had not killed the girl. Although, Uma would need some kind of _incentive_ to get the object working. The wickedest part of Ursula had reveled at watching Uma fret over the blonde boy in distress. She searched over the stretch of ocean surrounding her. The corners of her mouth rose tremendously as her eyes fell upon the _Kraken’s Crest_. 

Gonzo’s face went pale. “She’s looking this way, at us!” he shouted.

“And the crabs are gone,” Bonny said. Everyone anticipated what that would mean for their safety.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uma smiled up at Harry. 

_He came for me. Into the open seas. For me._

Harry was still in disbelief. Had it really worked? He placed a hand on her unscathed stomach and searched her all over. 

“Harry,” Uma laughed. “I’m okay, I’m not in any more pain.” She paused momentarily. 

“And I’m still human,” she took a deep breath; her cheeks puffed out as she exhaled. 

“Yer still a goddess to me.” She smiled at him. 

“Sphyrna!” Uma threw her arms around the hammerhead.

“Thank you,” she said gratefully and started patting, turning back to Harry with a grin.

“She scared the piss out of you at first, didn’t she?”

“I mean for a split second I was worried she could’ve been ol’ Tic Toc” Harry shrugged. Uma laughed and then stopped again. She and Harry thought the same thing as they questioned simultaneously. 

“Where is _she_?” 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ursula effortlessly waded her way through the seas as she approached the _Kraken’s Crest_. Her low grunts as she strutted towards the rugged ship were due to her increasing irritability. She did not think she would have to jump through so many hoops just to utilize her newly acquired powers. 

To her dismay, she looked to her right to see the ship of minions slowly sailing away towards the Isle. She changed directions and hastened to the ship. These ungrateful pawns were leaving without a fight. Surely, they could take on some children from the Isle. There was no obstacle in there way now that Blue had abandoned his plight.

“Where do you all think you’re going?” Ursula’s voice thundered louder than the waves crashing against the shore. The rain that had been reduced to a drizzle, was starting to grow heavier. At this rate, the diverse crew would be lucky to make their way back to shore. 

A bold huntsman was the first to speak, “If you’d said anything about fighting off hundreds of raging crabs, maybe we’d have been more prepared. Some men abandoned ship while some simply fell overboard.” The rest had been pinched to a pulp. He rubbed at a few red spots on his wrists and forearms.

“So, you all can’t handle a few crabs?” Ursula spat. Perhaps she had chosen the wrong group of men for this job. This group was far too plush. 

“Maybe if you had helped us” a thin, angered troll spoke up “then we’d have fared better!”

Ursula was shocked by the troll’s audacity. “Need I remind you of _your_ commitment” her voice edged with contempt. “You’ve already seen what happens when one of you disobeys.” 

“We’ll take our chances. If the crabs don't kill us, your storm will. To hell with this” the fed-up huntsman told her. Ursula was moments away from landing an arduous blow to the ship, splitting it in half causing it to sink to the depths. That was until she heard his final statement. 

“Uma and Hook’s son are escaping, you may wanna see to that,” his shrewd tone was unapologetic. Ursula snapped her head in the direction of the _Kraken’s Crest_ so quickly she could have gotten whiplash. 

Harry and Uma held onto Sphyrna as she rushed them towards the ship. Harry planned to man the wheel and safely get everyone back to shore. They stood no chance sailing on these stormy waters for much longer. Their only other choice was to get on land. They would not retreat and hide in the jungle. Uma would hold her stance and wait for her mother on the beach, like their previous interaction. Only this time, she would not suffer at the hands of her mother’s treachery. She _would_ fight. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ursula gritted her teeth as she anticipated her next move. 

_Too bad I can’t just kill the brat._

It was true; she could not kill Uma without jeopardizing her new powers. Well, if she could not hurt her daughter, then she had to harm the next best thing. Ursula watched as Harry carefully lifted Uma; Gil grabbed her hands to help her aboard. Ursula’s sinister smile returned. _Too easy_ , she thought.

Ursula was so happy she had stowed Harry’s knife for this occasion. The fools must have really believed that she had returned the original weapon. Oh, the glorious benefits of potions and spells, cloning potions to be exact. And for her next spell, all she needed to inflict damage was an object belonging to the victim. Ursula gripped the blade in her palm until her knuckles turned white and the metal bit into her flesh. She held the wild expression of a madwoman as she recited the spell. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The waves beat against the ship as Harry and Uma struggled to maintain balance. Harry squinted through heavy drops of rain as he kept his hold on Uma’s waist. Uma held onto Gil’s calloused hands as he hoisted her up to the deck. Both teens gave a start at the newfound commotion. Uma slipped; her back bumped into Harry’s chest as they fell back into the sea with a splash. Gil scrambled to his feet, beckoning for his best friends whose eyes were glued to the unfolding scene. 

The crabs covered Ursula’s body, jabbing their pincers into her skin as she shrieked in pain. She swiped at them grudgingly, spewing the crustaceans into the sea. She cursed as the knife dropped from her hand and began to sink into the blue. There was no deterring this attack; the small creatures recovered and ambushed once more. The VKs had no choice but to observe the spectacle in shock. 

Uma watched her mother wriggle around in aguish when she felt a tickle on her own shoulder. She looked down to see a stone-grey crab perched there comfortably. The young sea witch yelped and flicked it into the ocean. Was today killer crab day? Uma’s face grew hot from embarrassment as she inwardly shamed herself. 

Blue would not harm her. Only, this crab had a different appearance than Blue’s. The coloring was similar yet noticeably different. She doubted the visit from this new friend was sheer coincidence. 

Sphyrna was on standby, waiting for the couple to safely board the ship. The crab reemerged and scurried onto her back. Harry went to knock the creature away.

“Wait-“Uma stopped him. Harry stilled himself immediately but frowned at the command. She was looking intently at Sphyrna. He inferred that the two were communicating. It was a gift that as a human Uma was still able to communicate with marine life. She blinked and looked behind the shark; she saw what must have been hundreds more of the decapods. They bobbed in the seas as they rode the waves, floating at the surface.

“This is Calypso, Blue’s mother,” Uma said. Harry kept his frown but scrunched his top lip. He had seen and heard too many bizarre things today. But for now, he would bite and play along. Although, he knew Uma would never joke with him about something like this. 

“And those?” He wagged his head in Ursula’s direction. 

“That’s Blue,” Uma said flatly. Harry’s eyes were as wide as two cue balls. 

“She wants revenge; Ursula killed her only son.” 

“What does she have in mind?” He asked. Uma looked at Calypso; the crab scurried back to its initial spot on her shoulder. 

“Do you trust me?” Uma asked. 

“With me life,” Harry said, going pale from worry as he gazed at the countless creatures that were approaching them. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She wanted him to trust her. And so, he did as he watched the sea critters with sandstone colored exoskeletons invade his wife’s body. Given Ursula was in the same predicament and was writing in pain, it took every iota for him to remain calm. Uma appeared to be trusting of the crab-goddess that called herself Calypso. She did not appear to be in any physical pain. Soon, it became hard to tell after her face was buried. 

“Uma, tell me somethin’. Let me know yer okay,” as soon as the words left his mouth, he shielded his eyes. A white light irradiated Uma’s body hidden beneath the crabs. She was suddenly lifted, suspended above the waves. The impossibly bright light disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Harry held his breath; he feared the potential fate of his captain, the love of his life. 

He lowered his hand, “Uma!” He began to approach when he saw each crab begin to drop from her still frame. They drifted through the air, disappearing before hitting the water with a splash. Uma opened her eyes as the last crab vanished from her cheek. The entirety of her eyes; the whites, the iris’, flashed metallic gold as she was lowered back to the sea. Her chestnut eyes returned as she blinked. She said nothing as her body began to grow exponentially. It was déjà vu as she once again surpassed the height of the _Kraken’s Crest_. But she seemed unaware that anyone else was in her presence, including Harry. 

“Harry!” Gil shouted eager to pull his best friend from the snare of the ocean. Harry looked at him defiantly, “no, I won’t leave her.” He stood on the last step near the rudder; the one that led straight to the ocean and held on tight. 

“Dammit, Harry!” Jonas cried in frustration. 

Uma focused only on the battered and befuddled sea witch that stood before her. Blue had expected the incoming attack and abandoned proximity. One could suppose this was an act of self-preservation. Uma looked up at the angry skies. She raised a lithe arm; the gloomy funnel cloud seemed to be dragged along as it followed her hand. It moved until it touched down on the gigantic waves. Ursula was immediately subjected to the vigorous current. She was held captive by the looming whirlpool. The water only swirled gently around the colossal goddess that was now commanding the skies and seas. Her works could do her no harm. 

Her outstretched arm turned to reveal a flat palm. A strike of lightning seemed to float there in the center of her hand. She tossed it. The movement startled the crew; Calypso’s movements had been slow and deliberate until now. The bolt electrocuted a lethargic Ursula. The singeing blast had a trail of wind behind it; Uma’s shell necklace flew from the witch’s claw-like grasp back into its rightful owner’s hand. She threw herself forward and purged herself of nothing at all. Nothing visible. She let out a long, grueling howl as she shrank in size. Depreciating until she collected into a small heap of dust, sprinkling, and dissolving into the deescalating waves.

Calypso’s golden eyes stared down at the _Kraken’s Crest_ as she slowly blinked them shut. A final flash of white light filled the skies. Thousands of crabs rained from the skies and poured into the ocean. The crew shielded themselves from the peculiar shower. They watched as Uma descended to the ocean. She was laid down gently on her side like a doll laid to rest by a child. Harry extended his arms out to her; she settled into them comfortably. She breathed. She would be okay. He watched in amazement as her cephalopod form had returned. 

Silver lining revealed a bright and shining sun. The storm clouds dissipated leaving thin and wispy cirrus clouds in its wake. The salty sea breeze filled Uma’s nostrils as she finally awoke. She felt the hum of her shell throbbing against the inside of her palm. Her line of sight traveled upward to the most beautiful eyes she would ever see. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Gonzo kissed the sand after stepping onto the beach. He had never been so happy to set foot on dry land in his life. They had a handful of close calls, but their ship still sailed. For that, they were all grateful. The VKs were discussing the events of that morning. Uma, who had some gaps in memory, had just finished explaining her understanding of why it all happened the way it did. Particularly, Calypso’s and Blue’s involvement in Ursula’s undoing. 

“I don’t understand, he didn’t even like us,” Jonas quipped.

“He didn’t have to. _Uma_ did,” Gil finished. The crew fell silent and tried to avert their eyes from Harry, they failed. He only sat there quietly; he held an eerily calm disposition. Although, no one would question him out loud. In his periphery, Harry saw something twiddling along the low tide. He glanced around at the crew, at Uma. No one seemed to notice it. Harry narrowed his eyes and rose from his seat. 

“I’ll be right back,” he said quietly to Uma. She noticed his expression and stroked his hand. Harry shook off her concern, “I’m okay.” Uma let the matter drop, for now. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry followed Blue to a secluded spot at the edge of the jungle. The crab waited for him expectantly. Harry scoffed at seeing him up close. This kid was desperate to be seen, even as a crab. Harry was sure the soft cerulean tint on his legs and otherwise grey shell was no accident. Harry imitated Blue’s voice in his own mind; “Look at me, I’m Blue the blue crab.” He looked down at Blue with mixed emotions, wonder, anger, jealousy. For now, he would go with the most prevalent. 

“Ye still tried to kill me,” Harry radiated inferno heat that gathered into his accusatory stare. His jaw snapped as he clasped both rows of teeth together. He paused suddenly then instantly softened.

“But thank you,” he said sincerely. He cleared his throat, swallowing down what could be mistaken for sorrow brought on by gratitude. 

Blue twitched his eyes and flexed his limbs in a tapping motion. With that, he trotted off towards the turf until Harry could no longer see him. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Love, where are ye taking us? Feels like we’ve been walking forever. Are you sure yer okay?”

Upon Uma’s persistence, they had been exploring the island. Uma had a hunch; she wanted to know if the place in her ‘dream’ had truly existed. Harry stopped complaining as they finally made their way to the craggy entrance of that sacred place. Uma knew why she was speechless. She had found the place. She had really been there that day. It had not been a dream. What she did not understand was why Harry’s eyes were glassy and drooped like a puppy’s. She had no idea what had come over him but suddenly she felt she should apologize. It was like she had broken an unspoken code. 

“Harry, um, we don’t have to go inside. I’m sorry.”

“How did you find this?” he whispered, tears filling his eyes to the brim. 

“This is where we were when, erm, _he_ warned me” Uma already felt like she was walking on eggshells. She did not want to mention Blue’s name out loud again. She was sure Harry was more than tired of hearing it. He only continued to stare dazedly in front of them.

“Harry, what is it?” Uma kept her voice low. She tried to follow his line of sight and realized he was daydreaming. 

“Me mum- she used to bring me here,” he laughed at the recollection only for a tear to roll down his cheek. 

“I’ve only dreamt about it since.” Uma was confused yet entranced. Why would his mother bring him here? How did she even know about this place? She couldn’t help but wonder if Blue had known any of this. 

“Show me the way?” he asked hopefully as he gazed at her. Uma nodded as she gently took his hand and guided him.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I don’t remember much about her. I couldn’t get a word out of da’ if I wanted to. She was gone when I was a small boy. CJ, of course, she was too young to remember and Harriet won’t talk about” he sniffed. 

“Too painful” he added. Uma nodded her understanding. 

“I do know she loved the water. There was rarely a time when she wanted to be out of it. Like you.” He said. Uma concentrated as she processed everything he was saying. 

“She’d bring me with her of course. We’d have a blast; just the two of us.” Harry cocked his head to the side, like he was calculating some sort of equation. 

“I did fine in the water then. After she was gone was when da’ tore up me childhood with his stories of Tic Toc.”

Captain Hook corrupted Harry with the same paranoia that he had. He was convinced that Tic Toc was after Hook blood. Uma quietly contemplated before placing a hand on his thigh.

“Do you think your aversion to swimming…. was not because you lacked ability but because of your fear?” She kept her posture neutral while she waited for his response. In no way did she want to appear judgmental of him. He seemed to consider it lightly. She was thankful for that. 

“I s’pose so,” he said thoughtfully. 

“Harry” Uma began again. He looked at her with blue, innocent eyes. Her heart rate sped; she continued with caution. 

“I know you said you don’t remember. I mean, you were super young, but, what if your mother was a –“

“Mermaid?” he finished. Uma raised an eyebrow at him and framed her arms in a shrug.

“You never told me that,” she said. She thought they told each other everything. 

“I don’t know for sure. Just trying to put two and two together here. It’s hard to know for sure when me own family won’t tell me shite,” Harry sighed. He had a point. Uma dropped her defense. After all, this wasn’t about her. 

“Ye would think I would remember a tail. But I only remember her face,” he stared off again before continuing. “It would explain how she knew about this place…”

“If she’s a being of the seas as well…” he reasoned. 

“If so, then that means you are too” Uma finished. Harry looked dubious. 

She stood up and stretched a hand towards him. 

“Join me?” she asked hopefully.

“Ye sure it’s okay?” He asked placing a hand on her belly. 

“Bruh, you have heard of water births, haven’t you?” she asked as she smiled and cocked her head. 

He tentatively produced a smirk before accepting her hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I appreciate all of y'all's kudos, comments, and support. It really does warm my heart. I don't know if I'll write anything else in regards to this storyline or if I'll create another work. A lot is going on so it's hard to say. But who knows what the future holds. Love y'all. 
> 
> Mahalo.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! Let me know what y'all think. 
> 
> Mahalo.


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